


Time to Spare

by Amedia



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cecil can't bowl worth a darn, Existential Angst, Fluff, Gen, Josie loves him anyway, Prequel, Prompt Fic, The Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-14
Updated: 2013-11-14
Packaged: 2018-01-01 10:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1043834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amedia/pseuds/Amedia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil is bored. Josie isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time to Spare

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt response ficlet. pocketwitch requested _Welcome to Night Vale_ with the prompt, "Cecil and Old Woman Josie on one of their bowling nights."
> 
> Originally posted on LiveJournal on 11-12-13.

"Your game is a little off tonight, Cecil," said Old Woman Josie as Cecil returned from the floor. "You're not going to let Steve Carlsberg beat us, are you?"

The jibe didn't perk Cecil up the way she hoped it would. "I don't know, Josie," he sighed, slouching into his yellow plastic chair and watching Intern Vladimir choose a ball. "Does it really matter? Does anything matter? I just feel like nothing ever happens around here. Like nothing ever will."

"Just for the record," she said, "I think you're wrong."

"Really?"

"Definitely. There are things going on all the time right under our noses that we don't even suspect. Like that stuff they call dark matter, or intangible earthquakes."

Intern Vladimir returned to his seat and Intern Morticia got up to take her turn. Josie continued. "I thought I saw angels near my house today. If I see them again tomorrow, I'm going to invite them in."

"Well, that's something," Cecil allowed, dubious.

"And I went by some construction signs on the way to the Ralph's. Looks like the City Council might finally be responding to all those dog owners who want a park."

"Stop me before I thrill again." Cecil yawned.

"And I heard another university is sending a scientific team here. Never hurts to have new blood."

Cecil perked up a little. "You might be on to something there. Maybe this time I'll win the betting pool on how long it takes them to pack up and leave."

Josie grinned. "Remember that one team that didn't even pack up?"

Cecil couldn't help but return her smile. "I remember them. They just broke and ran for it! I don't even know what set them off. It was a perfectly normal day."

Josie nodded. "Hardly any black helicopters in the sky. Cecil, you didn't show them your spider collection, did you?"

Cecil sat up straighter and put on an innocent look. "Me, Josie? What kind of citizen do you take me for?" He looked away and added, "Besides, none of them got out of the cages."

Josie eyed him suspiciously. "Hm. Well, anyway, there's something in the wind. I can feel it. Oh, hi, Teddy!"

The owner of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex had stopped by. "How are you folks doing tonight?" he asked.

"Cecil's plagued by anomie," said Josie. "Other than that, we're doing pretty well."

"Is the pin retrieval system causing you any trouble?" asked Teddy.

"No," said Josie. "Why?"

"The folks in number five were complaining that theirs isn't working, so I moved them over to number six. Just wanted to make sure it was a self-contained problem. I'll take a closer look at it tomorrow."

Teddy moved on, and Josie got up to take her turn. Cecil stood up with her. "Mark my words, young man," she said, looking up at him. "Things are about to change around here." She stepped forward and selected her ball.

Then she rolled a perfect strike.


End file.
